Senator Santiago compares Tuesday’s airport standoff to a ‘very bad movie’

MANILA, Philippines—Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago likened the standoff at the airport on Tuesday to a ‘very bad’ movie about authoritarianism and the loss of human rights.

Santiago was referring to the failed attempt of former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to leave the country despite a go signal from the Supreme Court.

“When I heard it for the first time, the hairs on my head stood on end. It was a very bad day for the Supreme Court. Dura lex sed lex. The law may be bad or harsh but we must obey it,” she told reporters on Wednesday.

“I feel grief stricken. I feel like slashing my wrist. I feel like slitting my throat. That is what we were taught in law school. We simply have to obey the law no matter how we feel about it,” she pointed out.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima directed immigration and airport officials to prevent Arroyo from leaving the country despite the issuance of a temporary restraining order by the Supreme Court against the government’s watch list order on the former president.

Santiago was convinced that de Lima was guilty of indirect contempt when she defied the order of the high tribunal.

“I do not blame the Justice Secretary only. I blame the clique in Malacañang. In every admin, there are always two cliques there. We can see here one group fights another group,” she said, without naming names.

Senator Joker Arroyo said the government’s defiance to follow the order of the court was a “declaration of war” of the executive branch against the Supreme Court.

“Imagine the presidency and the Supreme Court fighting each other? That is very bad for the country,” he said in a separate interview.